This is the largest restructuring of the European security system since the end of the Cold War.

During the NATO summit in Madrid, US President Joe Biden officially announced the expansion of the US military contingent in Europe in response to the Russian attack on Ukraine.

This is the largest restructuring of the European security system since the end of the Cold War. Together with the future accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO, the consequences of Russian aggression did not lead to the results that Vladimir Putin had hoped for, Western politicians say, BBC reports .

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The deployment of additional American military contingents in Europe was announced the day before by Jake Sullivan, the Biden administration’s security adviser, but its scale became clear only after the official statement of the US president himself.

Before the Madrid summit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance intends to significantly increase the size of its rapid reaction forces: up to 300,000 troops (now they include about 40,000 people).

“Together with our allies, we will ensure that NATO is ready to respond to threats of any kind from any direction. Putin has attacked the most basic rules of the world order. We, the United States, and our allies, will stand up for them,” Biden said after meeting with the NATO Secretary General. “That’s exactly what he [Putin] didn’t want. But this is exactly what needs to be done to ensure security in Europe.

According to Biden, the US intends to increase its presence in Europe in this way:

• The base in the Spanish city of Rota will host two additional aircraft carriers.
• A permanent headquarters of the US Army’s Fifth Corps will be established in Poland.
• In Romania, an additional brigade of 3,000 soldiers and 2,000 additional personnel will be deployed on a rotational basis.
• Additional forces will be deployed in the Baltic countries on a rotational basis.
• Britain will deploy two additional squadrons of F-35 aircraft equipped with stealth technology (that is, invisible to enemy radars).
• In fiscal year 2022, the Pentagon will receive $3.8 billion from the budget to protect Europe. The Department of Defense has applied for $4.3 billion in funding next year.

As the newspaper notes, one of the most significant changes is the creation of a headquarters in Poland. The Polish government stressed that after the establishment of the headquarters, the presence of the US military in this country will be permanent.

“What seemed impossible to many is now becoming a fact. We have a PERMANENT presence in Poland. We care about common security. This is also a clear signal for Moscow. We will continue to strive to strengthen Poland’s security,” the deputy tweeted. Polish Foreign Minister Martin Przydacz.

(C)UNIAN 2022